Shane Wallace has made a decent life for himself in Last Chance. He built his own home on his mom’s property to take care of her, owns an automotive repair shop, and when he wants to get laid, Portland isn’t too far away. Not too shabby for the boy who spent his childhood getting bullied and feeling alone. Shane’s content to leave his past behind him…until one of his childhood tormentors comes back to town.

Maxwell Sullivan never planned to step foot in Last Chance again. Here, he was Maxwell, a teen who suffered in silence while everyone thought he had the perfect life. Now, he’s “Van,” the erotic artist and photographer. He’s only here to help his mom tie up some loose ends after his father’s death and to apologize to Shane. After that, he’s heading back to LA for good.

Shane never thought he’d have anything in common with Maxwell, but there’s a depth to Van that surprises him. Van knows what it feels like to be alone. He sees Shane in ways no one else does. There’s a shared connection neither can deny. Somehow, despite their rocky history, they get each other.

It’s not long before the two are so drawn to each other that they tumble into bed—sometimes with Van’s camera involved. Their chemistry in and out of the bedroom is undeniable. Except nothing is ever black and white. Shane can’t leave his mom and Van’s life is in LA. With two different lives pulling them in opposite directions, their picture-perfect ending might not be in the cards.

You know, sometimes a book and I just click. From the first few lines, I could feel such would be the case with Depth of Field by Riley Hart. Depth of Field is an enemies to lovers story of two men who grew in a small town. Both men grew up in a world of pain, and both dealt with it in their way. Shane lived with the bullying at school and being the main caretaker of his own the best he could and grew up to be a business owner with great character. Maxwell (Van), one of Shane’s bullies, left town as soon as he could- he wanted to leave behind the horrors of his home. He started his life over and became the man he was always wanted to be, but he lived with one regret: his treatment of Shane. Years later they come face to face, and Van has a chance to make amends never imagining the turn his life would take.

What I loved:

-Shane and Van. Both men who grew with so much pain but they never allowed the horrors of their lives to hold them back. They fought back and succeeded.

-Enemies to lovers trope. I wondered how old resentments would be healed, and all I can say is that it came about naturally.

-Pace. The flow of the story was smooth, and it had a quick pace.

-Steam. Beautiful, sensual, and hot as all hell! The way she described them… some of hottest, if not the steamiest Riley Hart has ever written. Exceptionally written!

-Tears. There were some tears- some were tears of pain, and some were caused from getting overwhelmed with emotion. I love when books make me cry.

-Narration. Dual POVs!

-The end. I was happy with how it all played out. The whole story I wondered how it could work given their circumstances (you’ll see what I mean when you read it), but it was perfect.

Do I have any niggles to report? I don’t.

Depth of Field is a fantastic start to Hart’s new series. It’s a touching story of family, growth, forgiveness, and love. 5 Stars! HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.